"Lady Adaline, are you here?"
Genevieve, wrapped in a blanket and holding a cup of hot tea, greeted her with a warm smile. Adaline quickly approached without missing a beat.
“Um...are you mad?”
There was no answer. Adaline's face remained expressionless as she carefully examined Genevieve from head to toe.
Luckily, she appeared to be unharmed.
During another walk along the winter shore of the lake with her husband, the fourth attack was made on the Saint.
Although, to be precise, Genevieve deliberately took a risk, she became bait. Thanks to careful preparation, she only escaped with a cold bath after falling into the lake, but with the help of Shane and the Imperial Guard, she managed to catch the hiding criminal.
“No, I'm not angry. I'm just glad you're alive."
She could hardly restrain herself from reproaching Genevieve for putting her in danger. After all, standing in front of her was not just a close friend - a Saint, the most important woman in this world.
[But Genevieve was never reckless. She perfectly understood how sacred and significant her mission was for all humanity, and considered it her duty to fulfill it, even if it meant sacrificing her life.]
[Still, you can't keep her locked up forever. She is not just a Saint, she is a person. A person who has the right to choose.]
[She was not being frivolous. She believed that she could handle it, and that was enough to respect her choice.]
Adaline swallowed her anxiety and said quietly:
“I was worried. I'm glad everything is fine with you."
"Hehe..."
Genevieve opened her eyes wide for a second, and then lowered them and smiled weakly, biting her lip. Tears began to shine in his eyes.
Adaline hugged her, patting her back softly.
“Where is your husband? I heard he was with you during the attack."
“Harrison returned to the unit. It’s a pity, I wanted to introduce you.”
“He wasn’t hurt?”
"Of course not. I have a very strong husband.” - Genevieve stated proudly.
Adaline felt relieved. [If he turned out to be strange or dangerous, she would do everything to separate them. But it looks like Genevieve was lucky.]
Shane came up and, seeing them in an embrace, put his arm around Adaline's waist and whispered:
“The criminal confessed. But the investigation continues. He received an order from someone in the church circles. This man is a magician who knows how to control consciousness. After two unsuccessful attempts, he despaired and summoned the monster right at the ball.”
"Is he a citizen of the Empire?"
“It’s still unclear. If you want, I can find out right now.”
“Don’t…” Adaline muttered, pulling away from him slightly.
Shane frowned, clearly unhappy.
“But why would someone from the church try to kill the Saint?!”
“Everything is complicated...Perhaps because His Holiness the Pope clearly favors me. And many are afraid that he will give me too much while he is still alive. Not everyone is happy that the Saint can gain real power.”
“Although they use you for everything...”
“The church also has its own fears. Real power lies in the hands of the Imperial family and the Blanchard family. The Church cannot act freely."
[It was painful to hear Genevieve say all this herself.]
“I don’t think they intended to kill me. Most likely, they just wanted to intimidate.”
“What will your intimidation give them?”
“They probably hoped that I would curtail my public activities. That I will not try to replace the Pope."
“What impudence, bastards.” - Adaline muttered.
"Lady Adaline..."
“We need to shake everything out of them, every last abomination, and give them hell. Every single one of them."
Shane pressed himself against her again, rested his chin on the top of her head and said quietly:
“His Highness Edwin is already doing this, Adaline.”
“That’s how it is...” she muttered.
At the mere thought of the prince’s good-natured smile, she shuddered.
[This angelic face hid a devilish pleasure, he enjoyed revenge.]
[He may not have been as attached to Genevieve as in the original story, but he cared for her and his people in his own way. He won't leave this unanswered.]
[And that means you don’t have to worry, the culprits will be dealt with.]
Adaline stopped trying to push Shane away; he clung to her like an annoying shadow. Instead, she just sat down on the sofa, not even bothering to peel it off of her. In the end, it turned out that she was sitting on his lap, but, strangely, it was even comfortable.
Shane adjusted himself to her, allowing her to lean on him, and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
Adaline took a deep breath.
[How much time she spent searching for the magician, without success... all this time she was haunted by one thought: what if history took a different path? What if Shane and Genevieve are no longer following the script?]
She hoped so much that it had all ended a long time ago. [But again and again I doubted. Everything was going too smoothly to be true. She couldn't believe that everything worked out.]
[But.]
[If that monster accidentally targeted Genevieve...if it was a mistake, not someone's evil will, then, yes, everything could end here and now.]
[Is it really all over?]
She thought that she would not be able to relax while at least one magician was alive. [As long as at least one plot twist from the book can be repeated.]
[But it looks like she has proof now.]
[The story written by the author failed.]
[And all the heroes, one after another, went off her rails.]
[They went their separate ways.]
[Adaline, like Adaline.]
[Shane as Shane.]
[Genevieve, as Genevieve.]
[No one else's will rules their lives anymore.]
[They are free people.]
[They just live as best they can.]
[They just breathe, love, quarrel, choose.]
[This is exactly what she dreamed of since she was nine years old.]